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System and method for producing concentrated food products with fractionation concentrationRelated Patent Categories: Food Or Edible Material: Processes, Compositions, And Products, Products Per Se, Or Processes Of Preparing Or Treating Compositions Involving Chemical Reaction By Addition, Combining Diverse Food Material, Or Permanent Additive, Plant Material Is Basic Ingredient Other Than Extract, Starch Or ProteinSystem and method for producing concentrated food products with fractionation concentration description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060008573, System and method for producing concentrated food products with fractionation concentration. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates to food products and a system and method for producing food products. In particular, the present invention relates to tomato paste and similar food items that are produced by separating tomatoes or food items into portions or fractions having different viscosity, concentrating one or more of the portions, and re-combining the portions to form a food product such as tomato paste. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART [0002] Tomatoes or derivative tomato products such as juice, puree and paste can be added as food ingredients to a food product to provide, for example, flavor, color, texture and viscosity. Tomato paste is one common product produced from tomatoes. To produce tomato paste, water is typically removed from tomatoes or tomato juice via dehydration or evaporation. [0003] Using tomato paste can be advantageous, compared to fresh tomatoes or tomato juice, for a number of reasons. For example tomato paste may provide improved taste, appearance, and be advantageous for the following economic considerations: [0004] a. Storage capabilities--aseptically bulk packaged tomato paste can be stored for extended periods of time (e.g., up to several years) prior to consumption. These storage capabilities provide flexibility in shipping, transportation, and sales. [0005] b. Reduced shipping costs--bulk tomato paste typically weighs less than raw tomatoes as a result of lower water content. Thus, shipping costs are reduced. [0006] c. Supply flexibility--a year round supply of tomato paste can be maintained in spite of the season for harvesting fresh tomatoes being approximately 100 days. [0007] d. Cooking requirements--some products require tomato paste rather than fresh tomatoes or tomato juice based on a recipe's water content limitations. [0008] Known system typically process tomatoes by directly processing the entire or unfractionated tomato stream. For example, tomatoes are chopped into a liquid or liquid-like product and supplied to an evaporator. The unfractionated tomato stream becomes increasingly concentrated as the evaporator heats the tomato stream and removes water from the stream. [0009] Such conventional systems, however, typically have a number of shortcomings. First, as the paste product becomes more viscous (thicker or more resistant to flow), the tomato paste becomes increasingly more difficult to manipulate. The increasing viscosity is the result of vacuum, heat, shear and recirculation of the thickening paste. Portions of the paste can be "burned" onto evaporator surfaces as the surfaces are heated and the viscous paste can stick to the surfaces. Consequently, the resulting tomato paste can be burned or overheated, resulting in diminished tomato paste quality, e.g., reduced color, flavor and nutrients. [0010] Moreover, additional cleaning and maintenance of evaporator equipment may be necessary as a result of the "burning" effect. Maintenance and cleaning requires additional time and resources which, in turn, lead to inefficient processing and reduced production capabilities. Additionally, in order to process the increasingly viscous paste, known systems typically use more powerful evaporators that can handle higher viscosity paste. These types of evaporators may use re-circulation turbine pumps to pump and re-circulate the increasingly viscous tomato paste. These more powerful, larger evaporators usually are more expensive. Further, larger evaporators typically consume more power and are more expensive to operate. Additionally, processing unfractionated streams of tomato juice typically takes a significant amount of time (e.g., two to three hours for a reasonable sized batch). Consequently, systems that produce tomato paste by directly processing unfractionated streams of juice often are not time, cost, and energy efficient and can produce lower quality tomato paste. [0011] Other known systems separate portions of tomato paste to form derivative products. For example, a portion can be removed from a tomato juice stream, and the evaporator can concentrate the remaining portion. Typically, however, these known systems also have a number of shortcomings. First, these systems produce separated components that are useful only in limited circumstances based on the quality and nature of the components, For example, the thicker component is typically a dense, powder-like substance that can be milled and used as a flavoring. The thicker component, however, is often not suitable for tomato paste. Further, the remaining portion is often too thin to be used as tomato paste. Thus, these known systems separate components of a tomato stream, but may not be able to produce tomato paste in an effective matter. Further, the dense powder and liquid components typically cannot be combined due to their different compositions. If the portions are combined, a low quality, chalky tomato paste-like product may be produced having diminished color, texture, and taste. Thus, known systems that separate tomato components are often not as effective as desired to produce quality tomato paste in an efficient manner. [0012] There is a need, therefore, for a system and a method for producing tomato paste and other similar products with improved viscosity, color, nutrients and flavor in a more cost, energy and time efficient manner. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0013] The present invention provides an improved system and method for processing tomato products to produce a paste with enhanced taste and color in a more efficient manner. [0014] One embodiment of the present invention provides a system and method that processes tomatoes into a stream of tomato "juice." The juice stream is separated or fractionated into two portions--a serum portion and a cake portion. The serum portion has a lower viscosity than the cake portion. In other words, the cake portion is thicker and more resistant to flow relative to the serum portion. After these portions are separated, the serum portion is concentrated using, for example, an evaporator. The cake portion can also be concentrated, if desired, using a drier mechanism or other suitable evaporator. The cake portion and the concentrated serum portion are re-combined to form an improved tomato paste. Alternatively, the portions can be separately processed and/or packaged as separate products or ingredients. [0015] The cake portion includes a majority of insoluble solids relative to the serum portion. As a result, the serum portion can be concentrated more easily with an evaporator for enhanced appearance and taste. Further, less evaporation time and energy are required to process the serum portion, thereby reducing capital and energy costs associated with the evaporator. Thus, less expensive and robust evaporators can be used. A drying mechanism can be used to concentrate the cake instead of an evaporator. As a result, the present invention can reduce or eliminate-degradation of tomato juice stream resulting from "burn on" of cake components onto evaporator surfaces. Further, cleaning and maintenance costs can be reduced while producing a tomato paste product with enhanced flavor, texture, color and nutrition. [0016] Also in accordance with the present invention, a decanter can be used to separate tomato juice into cake and serum portions. The decanter can separate the portions using different techniques. One exemplary decanter is configured as a centrifuge with an inner weir. As the centrifuge rotates, the cake gravitates to the inner surface of the decanter and is separated from the serum with the weir. The fractionated cake portion can advantageously have the following characteristics: about 5%-35% of the tomato stream by weight, about 5%-60% insoluble solids by weight, about 3%-16% soluble solids by weight and a concentration of about 3-13 brix. The fractionated serum portion can have the following characteristics: about 65%-95% of the tomato stream by weight, about 0(trace)-10% insoluble solids by weight, about 3%-17% of soluble solids by weight and a concentration of about 3-16 brix. [0017] In further accordance with the invention, if the cake and serum streams are re-combined, the concentration of the re-combined stream can have a concentration of about 15-40 brix. If the cake and serum portions are not re-combined, the cake portion can have a concentration of about 5-99% of solids. For example, a thick cake can be formed if the cake portion is about 5% solids, whereas a powder that can be milled can be formed if the cake portion is about 99% solids. The serum portion can be concentrated to a concentration of about 22-75 brix. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0018] Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numbers represent corresponding parts throughout: [0019] FIG. 1 is a general block system diagram of portions used to process a stream of tomato juice by fractionating the juice into cake and serum portions, and re-combining the portions to form a tomato paste; [0020] FIG. 2 is a general block system diagram of portions used to process tomato juice by fractionating the juice into cake and serum portions, and separately processing the portions; Continue reading about System and method for producing concentrated food products with fractionation concentration... 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